


Maybe, Kind Of, Probably

by reciprocityfic (orphan_account)



Category: Dancing with the Stars (US) RPF, Maksyl - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Maksyl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-20
Updated: 2014-08-20
Packaged: 2018-02-13 22:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2167092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/reciprocityfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sure, it’s only been two weeks, but Meryl might be the cutest thing Maks has ever encountered, and he doesn't know how to handle it.  Val thinks this is the funniest thing ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Maybe, Kind Of, Probably

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. I'm sick and it sucks.
> 
> This is pure fluff, so there's that.
> 
> Love and thanks to you all. xo.

He can’t stop smiling because he can’t stop thinking about her.  And how  _cute_  she is.

He stands in the kitchen, leaning against the countertop, and eats a bowl of corn flakes for breakfast.  Val walks in and they mumble good mornings to each other, before falling into a comfortable silence.  He goes back to thinking about her.  And that stupid video they made for Dance With Me yesterday.  It was supposed to be a minute of nothing, really.  Just something showing their faces, telling people to vote.  That is, with a normal person, it would have been nothing.  She had somehow managed to turn it into one of the most fucking adorable things he’d ever seen.

All while wearing that  _awful_ top hat.  He didn’t know why she loved it so much.  But she’d found it while they were perusing the wardrobe department and claimed it as her own.  Later, she’d taken it off while they were rehearsing, and spun to face him.  Without saying a word, she stood up on her tiptoes and placed it on his head, like she had been doing it all her life, like she  _owned_  him.  No hesitation.  No traces of fear, like he had seen in so many partners’ faces before.  That had always bothered him.  They were afraid of him without knowing him, based on a reputation that so many others had perpetuated.  Sometimes, he barely had a chance before things headed south.

Not her.  She stared at him without any set notions.  It was so  _freeing_.

Before he could respond to her addition to his outfit, she had turned, returning to her opening pose so they could run the dance again.  He stared at himself in the mirror.  He looked ridiculous.

He left it on, though.

She is  _weird_ , in the best possible way.  He is having trouble reconciling her with the person he’d watched during the Olympics only a month ago.  She was so cool, collected, focused, in comparison to the giggly, carefree, bright woman that he encounters every day.  Not that she isn’t determined; she is, undoubtedly.  She just presents herself in such a lighthearted way that he occasionally forgets they are competing for something.  And it is just the two of them dancing.  Her poking fun at him, saying stupid shit to try and make him smile.  She is so tiny and her laughter is like fucking  _sunshine_  and so  _cute_.

He tries to think of something as cute as her.  Maybe Sir Sleep.  Maybe Val when he was a baby.

Or maybe not.  Maybe she is the cutest thing to ever exist.

There’s something else, too.  Something behind her adorableness.  Something in her eyes when she smiles at him.  It makes his heart race, but he tries to ignore it because he’s only know her for a few weeks and everything is happening so fast.  He’s not even sure what’s going on yet, and what if he’s misreading her and what if she doesn’t feel it like he does?  He would ruin it all.

He doesn’t have her figured out yet.  But he has ten more weeks.  He  _prays_  that he would have ten more weeks.

For now he focuses on how cute she is.

“Bro.”

Val’s voice pulls him out of his head.  He looks up from his cereal.

“What?”

“Your face.”

“What about it?”

“Your  _smile_.”

He feels a blush creep over his skin.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” he answers immediately.

“Oh, okay.  Whatever you say, Maks.”

They are quiet for a moment.  He takes the last bite of his cereal, and then walks over to the sink and washes out his bowl.

He tries to ask Val casually.

“Did the video we made yesterday get uploaded yet?”

“I don’t know. Alex was going to do that.  You’d have to ask him.  But-“

Abruptly, Val stops talking.  Maks glances up from the sink to find his brother staring at him.

“ _What,_ Val?”

“You were thinking about that, weren’t you?”

He hurries up and turns away before his smile can betray him, collecting himself and putting on a straight face before opening up the fridge and getting out the orange juice.  He gets a glass from the cupboard, pours himself a drink and looks over at Val, his expression almost sullen.

“I guess.  I mean, it was just…cute, I guess.”  He shrugs, taking a sip of the juice.

“The video was cute, or the person in the video with you was cute?”

He chokes on his drink.  Val laughs heartily at him as he coughs.

“Your precious princess, Meryl.”

He is focusing on breathing properly and can’t look away quickly enough to hide the way his face automatically lights up at the sound of her name.  Val snorts.

“Oh my  _God_ , dude.”

“I can’t help it.”  He runs a hand over his face, trying to wipe his smile away and failing miserably.  “She’s …she’s so fucking  _adorable,_ Val.”

Val’s laughing grows louder.  He attempts to find some way to play this off.

“Come on, man.  You have to agree with me.  It’s obvious she’s cute.”

“You like her,” Val continues on, ignoring him.

Maks rolls his eyes.

“ _Of course_  I like her.  Everyone likes her.   It’s impossible not to.  Had you been paired up with her the last two weeks, you’d be the same way that I am.”

“Yeah, okay.  You keep telling yourself that.  How long has it been, two weeks?  Christ.  I’m both excited and terrified to see you by the time May rolls around.”

“Whatever, Val.  Shut up.”

Val walks over, his laughter finally slowing, and slings his arm around Maks’ shoulders.

“You’re hopeless, bro,” Val mumbles.

Maks stares down into his orange juice.

“I can’t help it that she’s cute.  It’s not my fault.”

“I know.”

“She’s also gorgeous.  You should see her dance.  It’s  _so_  hot.”

It’s the first time he’s acknowledged anything like this out loud.  His heart speeds up, and Val pats his arm.

“Yeah?”

“Plus, it’s just amazing to be around her.”

“Got it.”

“Shit.  Val, I’m  _fucked_.”

Val manages to half-suppress his giggle.

“ _So_ fucked.”

“What am I going to do?”

“I don’t know.  Fall in love?”

“Ha ha ha, Valentin.  Very funny.”

“Please.  You’re already halfway there.  You were halfway there five minutes after you met her.”

He pulls away from his brother, downing the rest of his orange juice and rinsing out the glass before leaving the kitchen. He's blushing again, and Val’s incessant laughter echoes behind him.  His stomach twists because he knows that Val is maybe, kind of, probably right.

He goes into his room and grabs his bag, then shouts a goodbye to his brother and walks out the door.  His phone buzzes as he gets into the car.

_Meryl: Morning!  On my way, can’t wait to get started :)_ _Also, bringing the hat today so you’re definitely wearing it again, I better not hear any complaints :P_

_Meryl: We should probably return it to the costume department soon though.  I don’t want them to get mad at me :O_ _  
_

He catches a glimpse of his face in the rear view mirror as he backs out.  His smile is  _so big_.  It’s almost embarrassing.

But he can’t help it.  She is so fucking cute.

And he is maybe, kind of, probably, already halfway gone.


End file.
